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Foley, J.
The role of infectious disease in population control and regulation of western mountain lions Abstracts Fifth Mountain Lion Workshop 27.02.-01.03., 1996 Bahia Hotel, San Diego, California
1996 Conference Proceeding
Californian mountain lions presently exist in relatively small, often discrete populations at or near their carrying capacity. Evidence indicates that there is little threat to lions due to environmental or demographic stochasticity, but that they might be most vulnerable to genetic impoverishment (inbreeding) depression and catastrophes including infectious diseases. This threat is also reminiscent of severe population reduction in the Florida panther and the African lion due to disease. In this paper, I consider several of the most likely infectious causes of widespread mortality in mountain lions, including feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, feline infectious peritonitis, canine distemper, panleukopenia, and rabies. I discuss known occurrences of these diseases in large cat species, and the potential each of these diseases could have for devastating impact on wild mountain lion populations in the west.
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